To J Love A 1967
by NYlovergirl
Summary: Jed goes back to the beach house where he first met Abbey, hoping to see her before he is ordained into the Catholic Church.  A little fluff...but not too much :  Rated T for possible later chapters


Hi All – This is a little nothing that I put together on a 12 hour car trip for your enjoyment. There is a West Wing episode, I don't remember the name, where Jed is flying to Japan I believe (correct me if I'm wrong) and as he is talking about the beauty of flying at night, CJ, referring to a previous conversation, asks why he abandoned his desire to become a priest. Jed's answer was that he met Abbey.

My story is just that. How Jed and Abbey met. Now I know it doesn't fit perfectly in with Jed's story, but I thought I would post just for fun. Hope you enjoy and please leave comments

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, they are property of NBC Studios and Aaron Sorkin.

The rubber tires of the 1967 Ford Convertible crunched on the gravel driveway of 501 Carey Drive. It was mid day and the air was hot and thick with moisture, the sun beating down and creating ripples on the pavement. In the distance, the crash of waves could be heard against the sandy beach and the shouts of children as they played.

Jed had to come back. He wanted to see it. It had been years since he had been here. So focused on books, the bible, the scriptures, and now he was three months away from being ordained into the Catholic Church and becoming a priest. But something had been nagging at the back of his mind, something that kept drawing him back to this beach. He had unfinished business here. He had to see her. One last time before he devoted his life to the Church. He wasn't expecting anything, heck, he didn't want anything. He just wanted to see her. To say hello.

He looked over at the driveway of the neighboring house. A baby blue Mustang Convertible told him that someone was home. The car looked like something she would drive and Jed hoped to God he was right. He popped the trunk of his car and grabbed his leather suitcase. Jed pulled his keys from the pocket of his jackets and unlocked the front door. The house hadn't changed since he had last seen it at age 17. It still housed the ugly faded brown curtains and big sofa with the green slip cover. Jed walked over the French doors and yanked the curtains apart. As he did so, he heard a tear and the curtains came tumbling down on top of him. He wrestled out from underneath the weight of the fabric and was temporarily blinded by the light that now flooded the house. After recovering from his momentary blindness, Jed smiled. He ran around the house tearing down any curtain he could find and throwing in a pile on the floor. He came back downstairs and pulled the slip cover off the sofa to reveal a cream colored sofa underneath. Why had his mother covered this up? Then he realized that it was probably due to him and his siblings. White sofas and 4, 7, and 11 year olds do not mix. Jed took the curtains, dragged them out to the dumpster and then proceeded to vacuum the entire house, top to bottom. Finally he picked his bag out of the entry way and made his way upstairs. He opened the last door in the hallway to reveal his room. As with the rest of the house, his room had remained untouched. The walls were white, save for one chocolate brown wall where his unmade bed was positioned. A desk stood in the corner and above it was a bulletin board covered in pictures. Jed wandered over and looked at them. Smiling, he found a picture of him and his two brothers standing arm in arm behind a huge sand castle. The picture next to it was of his entire family with their back facing the camera revealing their bright red, sun scorched backs. Behind that, Jed saw the corner of another picture peeking out. He pulled it off the board and held it in his hands. There were two people in the frame, one, the boy, was wearing jeans and a boat jacket and was holding a guitar, the other, a girl, was wearing a flowered dress and a sweater. She had her head resting on the boys shoulder, her long curls falling softly down her back. They were standing on the dunes with sun setting behind them, and in the corner, written in sharpie, were the words: "to J. love – A 1967" written in flawless script.

Jed smiled and set the picture down on his nightstand. He walked over to his closet and found a pale blue comforter cover and a white bottom sheet and pillow shams. He made the bed and then made his way over to the windows on the opposite wall that looked out over the porch roof and out over the glistening ocean. Jed picked his bag off the floor and threw it on the bed and then opened the windows. He breathed in the thick salty air and sighed. After a few long minutes, he turned and walked down the hallway and back downstairs.

Later that night Jed, having made himself at home in the empty house, stared out his window at the house next door. The windows were dark save for one. He closed his eyes and traced the floor plan of her house through his memories. His heart skipped at beat as he recognized the room as hers. Rolling over on the bed he grabbed the photo off the bedside table and stared at it. He closed his eyes and remembered how they would take turns sneaking up to each other's windows, how they would take walks on the beach and how, when her parents were fighting she would come and sleep next to him, snuggled into his sleeping form. Jed opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling. He wanted to see her. To hear her voice and to feel her touch. He didn't know what happened or why he did it, but suddenly Jed found himself flying out of the house and sprinting down the path the connected the two houses.

Jed stood underneath the large beach tree whose braches stretched out over the porch by her room. He began climbing; hoisting his body skywards, branch by branch. He reached the porch roof and hoped on, inching quietly towards the window. Peering in, he saw her at her desk. She was surrounded by textbooks, the lamp throwing a soft light on her curls which were twisted up on top of her head. She wore a loose plaid flannel shirt with baggy sweatpants. Jed smiled to himself and tapped softly on the window. She spun around in her chair, momentarily startled, but as soon as she saw him, a smile broke across her face. Jed smiled back as he stared at her face through the window. Square glasses framed her eyes which were as deep and mysterious as he remembered. He also noted the tight tank top she wore underneath her shirt, and a brief thought of how well the years had treated her flitted through his mind before he pushed it out. She unlocked the latch and opened the window, leaning against the frame.

"Josiah Bartlet. As I live and breathe."

"Abbey."


End file.
